Drawer or file-box



(No Model.)

F. L. G. STRAUBEL.

DRAWER 0R FILE BOX.-

No. 586,512. Patented July 13,1897.

FIGJ.

. wAsw n, o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. G. STRAUBEL, OF GREEN BAY, llSC/ONSIN.

DRAWER OR FILE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,512, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed October 23, 1896. Serial No. 609,84C3. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concer/t.-

Beit known that l, FREDERICK L. G. STRAU- BEL, a citizen et the United States, rcsidiu'g at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and the State of /Visconsin, have invented anew and vuseful Improvement in Drawers 'for Cabinet Letter or Paper Files, of which the following is a speciiication.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in drawers or rile-boxes in which sprin.comn pressors are employed to hold the sheets in layers 'flat against the bottom ot' the drawer.

The object of my invention is to provide convenient facilities tor tiling and ready access to letters or such papers as are liled therein. l attain this object by the mechanism and coiiistruction as illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings.

Figure l. is a vertical section ot the drawer, showing the rightdiand inner side. Fig. 2 is a top view of the right-hand rear corner, showing the combined coiled spring an d hinge of the compressor. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the drawer withdrawn from the cabinet or receptacle to a position ready to receive letters or papers or for the examination of those iiled therein.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views. A

Cabinet letter or paper files are usually made with a number of compartments or receptacles to receive drawers or file-boxes. A A A represent the walls of one of these compartments or receptacles, B B the side walls of the drawer, and O the back wall.

Up to the present time to my knowledge cabinet letter-tiles generally in use are provided w'ith some kind of spring-compressor and indexed leaves in the drawers, and these l also propose to use, as without them the drawers would not be considered as complete for the purpose intended.

Wherein my invention differs from others is that the spring-compressor is hinged and secured at the back wall of the drawer instead of at the front wall, and the index-leaves are inserted, having their lettered index-tabs at vthe front wall, and may be hinged or otherwise secured at the back wall.v The front wall is hinged at or near its lower edge, and in con nection with the intermediate rods and levers the compressor is operated with the movement of the hinged front. As will be seen in Fig. 3, this arrangement with the indexed leaves toward the operator permits of convenient access to the contents of the drawer, and letters or papers may be readily iled therein without the drawer being entirely withdrawn or removed from the cabinet. A suitable stop may be arranged to prohibit the further withdrawal of the drawer when in this position.

lith a iiledrawer such as I describe the operator can with one hand withdraw and prepare it while his other hand is holding the papers he desires to iile.

D represents the loop of the springcompresser, and E E its coiled springs, which also act as hinges to the compressor and are secured to the back wall of the drawer near its upper edge by the brackets F F, and pins from these brackets pass through the coiled springs and are secured to the side walls of the drawer. l give preference to this construction, although it can be modified in various ways.

The operation et' the compressor which l attain in my invention is particularly shown in Fig. l.

The ends of the wire used in the construe tion of the spring-compressor, projecting from the coiled springs near the side walls, extend back from the coils, one end being shown in the several views. The loop l) of the compressor bears upon the contents of the drawer and also forms the connection between the coils E E. To the projecting end H, from the coils of the compressor, is hinged or jointed the rod 0, and to this the rod or lever Z) and the latter secured at its lower end to the side wall of the drawer by a pivot or pin c. The connecting-rod I is connected with the rods or rod and lever a and l) and at that end is jointed to them at or near CZ and its other end jointed and secured to the inner side of the hinged front J. The front J, when raised to an upright position, as in Fig. l, by the action of the rods and lever l, ZJ, and ain connection therewith, will force the loop of the springcompressor down upon the contents of the drawer7 and the compressor will remain locked IOO in that position until released by the outward motion of the hinged front J. The outward motion of the front J does not only release,

but will also raise, the compressor-loop D, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l, permitting access to the contents of the dra-wer, as shown in Fig. 3.

The coils E E should be made to provide for sufficient flexibility to the compressor-loop D to allow the contents of the drawer to be of Various thicknesses when the compressor is forced down upon them by the rods and lever in connection with the front J.

In forcing down the compressor-loop upon the contents of the dra-wer by the action as above described a corresponding pressure is retained at the extended wire end from the coils at Il down upon the rods or rod and le- Yer d and l), and as these are forced back somewhat out of line with the joints at Hand c, at joint Z by the rod I, when the drawer is being closed or the front J placed upright, a complete lock is formed by the rods and lever in this position to the compressor, which can only be removed by the reverse motion of the front J in connection with the rod I.

The front J, after being placed in an upright position, will be held there against the ends of the side walls of the drawer to the extent of the tension of the springs upon the rods in connection therewith.

I cannot confine myself strictly to the arrangement of the rods and lever and the direction from the coils and the extension of the projecting wire end II, as the combination can be modified in various ways and have the same or a similar effect upon the compressor and the hinged front J.

The rods and lever may be recessed into the side walls of the drawer or may be completely concealed within these walls, so as not to be of any obstruction to the contents of the drawer.

I am aware that prior to my invention drawers for cabinet letter or paper iiles have been made with spring compressors and drawers with loose or hinged fronts. I do not therefore claim this combination, broadly; but

That I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ism

In a drawer for cabinet letter or paper files, the rod I in connection with the hinged front J, the rod d in connection with the springcompressor, and the rod or lever b in connection with the rods I and d, forming a combination of connecting-rods between and arranged to act upon, the spring-compressor and the hinged front J, substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.

FREDERICK L. G. STRAUBEL.

Wi tnesses:

A. W. IIoLLnAN, JNO. B. Lnirnnnvn. 

